The Coronavirus pandemic of 2020 was, and still continues to be, an extremely challenging time for everyone, including business owners and their families. In order to keep afloat, many businesses had to think creatively to keep customers coming back to them. Some of which can cause slight irritation, while others we don’t know why they didn’t come in sooner.

Here are some of those things that have become ‘normal’ over the past few months- their good points, and their not so good points.

The Six Feet Rule 

The Good: 

There’s nothing worse than going shopping and having people get into your personal space. The six feet rule means that people are less likely to be up in your grill when browsing for the perfect item. Shopping can be stressful enough at times without having to deal with people getting in your way. The six feet rule means that you can shop and get in line comfortably without fear of other people getting in the way. 

The Not So Good:
It makes hanging out with friends and family challenging. We can’t safely hug our loved ones who don’t live with us without imposing some kind of risk. 

When Shops and Services Moved Online 

The Good:
We were moving rapidly toward this anyway, but since the coronavirus outbreak, more and more businesses and shops have started to operate online. From the use of online appointment booking software, to curbside pickup, to even delivery of items right to our doors, it’s now becoming easier than ever to get on with our busy lives without the inconvenience of having to actually go inside the shops (Though, see the point above for how some stores are staying safe in their operations during this time). 

The Bad:
Everything is limited to exacting time restraints which adds pressure to get things done on time. Some restaurants are enforcing a time limit at the table which means leisurely meals are out of the question, and if you’re a few minutes late then forget people making allowances for you to be able to attend your appointments. 

The Office Moved Home 

The Good:

Where do we begin? Later alarms, no commuting time, saving money on travel, and food, being able to only get half dressed for video calls with the boss, improved productivity, coffee whenever you want to, being able to give your pets the undivided attention that they crave. All sorts of amazing things have come from working from home, and many people wish that they’d never have to go back. 

The Bad: 

Zoom (or any other popular video conferencing app!). Fatigue. Is. Real. In the before times, there was nothing worse than being called into a meeting at 4 pm on a Friday to talk about a point that could have been sent in an email. Now, add the fact that you’re thinking about the bottle of wine chilling in the fridge that is literally steps away from you when you’ve already had 4 hours of video calls prior to this to hear that unwelcome chime of another meeting…when will it end? Nobody really knows…but until then, you’ve got another 3 quizzes, a virtual choir session and your fortnightly catch up with your father in law’s forehead to look forward to…